Black Lace
by Lialane Graest
Summary: He was tempted by her, and didn't realize it for a very long time. She was tempting him, and didn't realize it until after he did. After a slew of bad dates, and one particularly horrible one, will she indulge in temptation with him? Eventual SteinxMarie. Eventual Smut.


Marie never could understand why Stein was so hesitant around her. She would walk into the research lab, clad only in her lace underwear and matching bra, to ask which dress she should wear. He would sit there, his eyes hidden behind his glasses, and after a long, drawn out moment where she could almost swear he wasn't breathing, he would point to one or the other of the dresses. She would smile and thank him, then turn to leave.

She never knew that he watched her ass as she sashayed out of the research lab, or that he would constantly question why he did such a thing; or why it was only around Marie that he found himself doing such things. He couldn't put a name to the sensation, either.

He never knew that she wanted to wear the dress he chose because she knew that he preferred it, regardless of whether the man that she was going on a date with would like it. She didn't truly know it herself, but the ritual repeated itself on a weekly basis some months.

When she stepped into the lab today, clad only in a matching yellow lace panty and bra set, holding a green dress and a black one that he had never seen before; he chose the black one after taking the time to imagine her in both. For some reason, as she left him this time, he found himself imagining something else entirely.

He found himself imagining Marie Mjolnir in nothing except her unmarred skin. What surprised him most that it wasn't that he was imagining the lines that he would draw on her skin as she lay strapped to the operating table, but rather what her smooth skin would feel like underneath his fingertips. He wondered if it would be as soft as her hair.

He finally had a name for the sensation that he felt every time she strolled into the lab: Temptation.

He was tempted to find out if his hypothesis was correct about how her skin would feel. He was tempted to catch her wrist as she left, to keep her there with him so he could know. He was tempted to lock the front door of the lab to prevent her exit, and then experiment with his intense curiosity that seemed directly linked to his sense of touch and Marie's skin.

He did none of those, twisting the screw in his head in an effort to clear the bothersome images that she had brought up in his mind.

He lost track of time, sitting in his chair. He read through scores of medical entries and journals related to his current experiment, and he was so engrossed in reading that he didn't actually hear Marie reenter the lab; he felt the unexpected intrusion of her wavelength though. It was frantic and more importantly, was trembling in fear and anger.

A smooth motion brought him to his feet and he strode towards her, his chair left behind him. He encountered a locked door when he got to the bathroom, and he could feel the spike in her wavelength as he knocked calmly on the door.

"Marie?"

"I'm taking a shower." Her voice was calm, but Stein caught the slight tremble in it.

"You've locked the door. The shower isn't running, and I'd appreciate it if you opened the door to speak to me." Stein kept his voice civil, but he knew something was wrong.

"I'm fine… I'm… I'm just going to shower, Franken. Then I'll be going to bed." Her wavelength betrayed the strength in her voice, despite the slight hesitation. It was obvious she didn't want him there.

The water in the shower turned on and Stein sighed. He grabbed the door knob and with just a thought, the piece shattered, and he swung the door open.

His eyes went wide. Marie was sitting on the toilet, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her head was on her knees and facing away from him, and her shoulders were shaking.

It wouldn't have been so shocking if not for the rip in the black dress that he had suggested she wear, or the small speckles of blood on her leg. He moved to her side immediately, forcing her to look at him. Her good eye focused on him as he felt the hand that wasn't holding her chin clench in a fist.

There was a bruise on Marie's cheek, and her bottom lip was split. He could see the scrape on her left arm now as well. There was also a cut on her left leg. Tears welled in her eye as he assessed the injuries.

His voice came out low, full of anger, and possessive. "Who touched you?"

"It was a bad date…" her voice was quiet and even though she couldn't look away from him, her eye looked down.

"Who?"

"Franken, please, let it go…" Marie begged.

"Either you tell me his name, or I will find it on my own." Stein's voice promised nothing but pain for the man.

She just shook her head, and bit her lip only to wince. She gasped as Stein scooped her up and into his arms, walking out of the bathroom and leaving the shower running. He carried her into the lab and sat her down on the operating table.

A moment later he had a cotton ball soaked in alcohol pressed against her split lip, his other hand already preparing another to clean the abrasions on her arm and legs.

"What happened?" Marie was silent for a long moment, and Stein prompted her again, "Marie, tell me what happened."

She met his eyes and took a deep breath. "He was a jerk. We met at the restaurant, and he had 'forgotten' his wallet. The entire time we were eating he was talking about all of this stupid stuff, especially about the last woman he went on a date with… and how long it had been… I thought he was trying to be funny at some points… and then, when we went outside, he started trying to," her voice cracked a bit, "touch me. I told him no. He was walking on my right, and pushed me into an alley... I fell."

She stopped speaking and Stein could feel the anger surging in him. He would find this man, he vowed silently, and make him pay for every slight he had committed against Marie. His hand trembled slightly as he pressed the cotton swab against an open scrape on her leg and she flinched a little bit against the cold of the alcohol.

"Perhaps you shouldn't use that dating site again." Stein was trying to remain calm, but he could feel the need to pull the man limb from limb growing.

"_I'm… done for a while I think."_

Stein could feel the tremor that went through her soul, the sadness that seemed to well within her as she quietly whispered the statement.

"_That's probably for the best, Marie," _he murmured as he continued cleaning the bumps and scrapes.

* * *

Hacking Marie's profile was simple. Finding out the name of the man that had tried to rape her was just as easy. Finding his home address and first name was slightly more complicated. Stein jotted all of the information down on a scrap piece of paper (one that he recognized was the back of a note of some sort that Marie had left him- it was bright orange) and stood to leave.

He found Marie standing in front of him, blocking the exit out. "Please, let it go, Franken. This is why I didn't want to tell you." Stein cranked the screw in his head, the clicking the only thing breaking the silence as Marie wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm begging you, Franken." There were tears in her voice.

She was wearing her sleep clothes, and Stein felt the temptation rise again, wondering what they were concealing. Anger at the previous events overrode the feeling though and he twisted the screw again.

"Marie, move."

"I'm not going to let you leave." She moved slightly, and he realized that the nightgown she was in was slit up the side just as it parted to reveal a large amount of her leg, the silk slipping around her leg gracefully. She swallowed as she stood in front of him and he watched the gentle motions her throat made as she did.

He was becoming distracted.

"I don't believe that you are physically powerful enough to keep me here." Stein said determinedly, moving towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. He went to move her and she planted her feet to keep from sliding. He just smirked, tightening his grip and lifted her up. Fear lanced through her soul suddenly.

She kicked.

He dropped her.

She gasped, nearly a scream.

He hit his knees.

She hit hers beside him, tears in her eye and apologies on her lips.

In her haste her nightgown had slipped up to reveal more of her skin, riding over her left hip, and Stein was tempted even through his pain to take advantage of the situation and finally find out just how smooth her pale skin truly was. He stopped himself though.

"So… that's how…" he gasped out.

"Franken I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to…" her face crumpled as she burst into tears. "It was just a reaction. I'm sorry…"

"Apparently you were physically powerful enough to cause me to remain here," he hissed out through his teeth, cranking the screw in his head a few times to try to help the pain recede. She sat there with him until he could stand, apologizing the entire time.

"Just go to bed, Marie. I'll not leave the lab," he said as he walked woodenly over to his chair and sat down in front of his computer.

He stiffened when he felt her lips on the top of his head, ruffling his hair. _"I really am sorry, Franken."_

* * *

Weeks passed, nearly two months to be accurate, and Marie finally announced that she was going on another date. Her wounds had healed, and she felt ready enough to go out.

The man's name was Jacob and she stood in her room for a long time, holding a dark green dress and a silver dress up against her body, clad only in black lace hipsters and a matching bra. Finally she sighed and padded out of her room, moving to where she knew that Stein would be, still holding both dresses.

"Franken?" her voice rang through the empty lab, and she furrowed her forehead as she moved further into the room. She finally found him, hunched over an operating table. She recoiled from him as he turned to look at her, a blank expression on his face and blood on his hands.

"Franken…"

He blinked a few times, and it was obvious that he was coming back to himself. She didn't dare look around him to see what was on the table, and she purposefully avoided looking at his ungloved hands.

"Franken, are you alright?"

"The green." Stein's voice was tired and he sighed immediately after giving her his opinion, turning to face the table again.

She stepped to him, holding both dresses against herself with her left arm and reached out with her right to touch his shoulder. "I'm just going to cancel. You obviously need someone with you right now."

Stein stiffened at her words, but didn't refute their validity. He listened as she walked out of the lab, and then sighed again as he looked down at the mess on the operating table and the blood on his hands. He wasn't even certain what type of animal it was, or what he had been doing to it.

* * *

Marie came back a few minutes later, carrying her cellphone and a takeout menu. She settled down in a chair near where he was now typing and dialed, placing an order for food before pulling out her book and tucking her legs underneath her. She read for a few minutes before Stein spoke.

"You didn't have to cancel."

She just smiled at him. "It's fine. He probably wasn't the one anyway, and if he was, well, we'll meet again." Her faith in fate was amazing to the scientist.

Stein didn't respond; he just twisted the screw in his head as he looked at her. She was dressed now in a yellow tank top and a pair of black shorts that rode up and gave him a good view of her thigh. She smiled at him, and then went back to innocently reading her book, occasionally adjusting on the oversized chair.

He knew that she wasn't doing it on purpose, but he felt the same temptation to touch the pale skin that he had felt all the other times. An idea formed in the scientist's mind, and was almost dismissed before he allowed himself to analyze it.

He had apparently just shook himself out of an attack of insanity. What if he were to "slip" again? It would give him the opportunity to finally know how her skin felt, without having to deal with her becoming angry at him.

He could fool her, he realized suddenly, and the temptation to see if it worked was too great, a single giggle escaping his lips. Marie looked up at him, and her forehead furrowed. Her mouth opened to call his name, and Stein felt something snap, his grasp on sanity truly being threatened.

He took a hesitant step towards her, his hand stretching out, as a giggle slipped out. He slipped to his knees beside the chair and leaned his head forward to rest on her knee, his hand slipping to rest on her thigh, careful of the screw in his head.

He felt her hand hesitantly settle on his head, smoothing the hair around the screw, raking through it. He let his hand wander a bit, finally feeling the smooth, silkiness of her skin, and he felt himself smirk.

"Are you feeling better, Franken?" her voice was quiet and he didn't answer immediately, just continued breathing in and out gently, his finger absently stroking the side of her thigh. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair and he took a long moment to finally put words together.

"I'm fine, Marie." He could feel her smile from where he sat on his knees, his head in her lap. He didn't want to move yet, his hand opening up to press the palm against her leg. He could feel goose bumps under his hands and he rubbed absentmindedly.

"Franken." He had never heard Marie's voice sound like that before and he looked up to find her with a blush on her cheeks, biting her bottom lip. "Pl-please, stop."

He realized then that his hand had wandered almost up to her hip, and that the goose bumps were covering both of her legs and arms. Her cheeks were dusted pink, and her breathing was faster than it should have been. He pulled away from her, sitting back on his heels.

"I'm sorry."

She gave him a smile and went back to reading her book.

His curiosity was piqued. He had felt how smooth the skin on her leg was; he wanted to know how smooth the skin on her stomach was in comparison. How smooth the skin on her inner thigh was compared to the outer… his mind wandered to other portions of her anatomy and he blinked as he suddenly realized what was happening to his own anatomy. With a smooth motion he stood, turning back to his computer and sitting down.

A few moments later knocking echoed through the lab and Marie grinned as she darted to her feet. Stein listened to her leave the room and then sighed, cranking the screw in his head. What was Marie doing to him?

"Come on, Franken. Let's get something to eat. Then we both need to go to bed." Marie's voice echoed to him and he stood, turning to leave the room. He moved towards her, his mind elsewhere, and he didn't even realize it when he walked right into her.

She had been carrying two plates, and he knocked her down, spilling both of them. Some of the hot food splashed onto her arm and shirt as she fell, and she cried out as she landed.

"Marie!" he was beside her an instant later, moving the plates away from her, grabbing the napkins from where they had fallen and hurriedly wiping food off of her. She froze underneath him, her eye wide and her breath catching in her throat.

"Marie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to knock you down." Stein said, completely unaware of the position they were in, and only looked down when she didn't respond.

Marie was on her back, propped up on her right elbow, her legs slightly splayed apart. Stein was arched over her, his knee in between her legs and pressing against her. His left hand was beside her elbow, the fingertips just barely brushing against her breast as he looked down at her and apologized, his right hand brushing against her left wrist.

"Marie?"

She bit her lip and he noticed the blush on her cheeks, and his eyes wandered down, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest that he noted was a bit faster than usual. Marie swallowed hard, and her voice was a squeak.

"Franken… move?"

A mischievous smirk crossed his face. "You have food on your shirt, Marie."

She just nodded, and his right hand moved, hooking underneath the hem of her shirt and tugging it a bit. His hand slipped against the smooth skin of her stomach and the blush on her face deepened. He could feel a tingling warmth around his waistline, and he smirked down as she panted slightly while his hand trailed up her stomach.

Her left hand caught his. "Franken?"

"Are you still wearing the black lace? Or is that only when you go out on a date?"

Her face contorted as she thought about his question, and before she could answer, he tugged his hand from hers and pulled her shirt up. Marie's breath caught in her throat as he did so, and he smirked.

"You are."

She desperately wanted to shout, "And what business is it of yours, Franken Stein?!" but his knee shifted slightly, rubbing against her and she had to concentrate on not letting the moan escape her throat as it did.

His left hand wrapped around her right wrist, his fingers playing against her wrist, feeling her pulse as he supported himself without the use of his hands. This resulted in his knee grinding into her, and this time she couldn't suppress the moan. It was low and quiet, over quickly, but he heard it, and she knew it- a grin spread over his features.

"You've spent the last year tempting me, Marie. I didn't even know what it was until recently, but that's what it was. Temptation. You would stroll around in your lace, as if I wasn't a man." His right hand moved and opened to spread across her stomach, his fingers reaching her sides and almost brushing against the lace that concealed her breasts. Her left hand caught his arm just above the elbow, but she didn't move to pull his hand away.

His head moved down, his longer frame stretching over hers. "Why?" he murmured into her ear.

She swallowed. "I… I didn't realize… I'm… sorry…"

He purposefully moved his knee, rubbing against her and she bit her lip. "You had to have some reason, Marie. Some reason why you couldn't make a decision on the dress. Why you always had to stroll half-naked through the lab."

The room was quiet except for the sounds of Marie's labored breathing. He remained arched above her, pulling back just enough to see her face. He could see exactly when the realization dawned on it.

"_Because… I… I don't think I was dressing up for them…" _her voice was quiet and the blush spread to the top of her breasts, disappearing underneath her shirt. She surprised him then, the hand that was wrapped around his upper arm suddenly moving to wrap around his neck and dragging his head down to hers.

Her lips met his almost hesitantly, but firmly. He remained motionless for a second, and when she went to pull away, her lips parted to apologize, his head moved on its own volition, pressing his lips against hers. She gasped into the kiss, Stein pushing her back until she was lying flat, her right arm above her head, his hand holding it down by her wrist.

Her back arched as his other hand slipped between them, his palm rubbing against her. Her hand tangled in his hair, and she gasped again as his finger breached the band of her hipsters, just barely rubbing against her.

He broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, and realized that they were both panting. Her eye had closed sometime during the exchange and she opened it to gaze up into moss green ones. A smile played across her face as he looked down at her.

"Can I tempt you into a bedroom? Or even the living room?" Marie asked coyly, and she pushed her hips up against him.

Waves of lust that felt like fire surged through Stein's body as she did so and he pushed his hips back down against her, evoking a moan from the woman.

"I'm content here," he said lazily, a smirk on his face.

"You're not… ahhhh," he ground his hips against hers, "the one… ohh," he repeated the movement again, "lying in spaghetti…"

"Ah, the shower then." Stein said with a smirk. He stood smoothly, then took her hand and tugged the woman to her feet, sweeping her off of them and over his shoulder. His left arm wrapped around her legs as he moved deeper into the lab, up the stairs, and into the shared bathroom. He deftly sat her down on her feet, standing between the door and her with a smirk on his face.

"There's none in your hair, just what's on your clothing and arm, Marie."

She turned her back on him, her right hand grabbing the left side of her shirt while her left hand grabbed the right. With a practiced movement she slipped it up her body, tantalizingly slow. She then bent at the waist as she slipped off her shorts before standing there in her black lace, flicking the water on.

Every movement seemed specifically designed to send the scientist over the edge. She casually flipped her hair around her front, letting it cascade out of the way as she brought her hands up to undo the clasps on her bra, a grin on her face as she looked over her shoulder at him. Stein felt himself strain against his pants as it fell to the floor, landing with a small thud. She spread her legs slightly as she bent to remove her panties, and Stein let his lab coat fall to the floor, his shirt following it a second later.

He was undressed by the time she had teasingly removed all of her clothing, and he waited until she had tested the water and adjusted it before alerting her of that fact. His arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her into the water and flipping her to face him.

His erection pressed into her stomach and she gasped as his lips landed on her neck, his weight pressing her against the wall of the shower as his hand slipped down between them to massage her hips as he sucked on her neck before trailing his tongue up her throat to stop beside her ear.

"_Shower quick," _he murmured into her ear. She just swallowed and gave a nod of assent and he stepped out of the shower, toweling off before retiring to his bedroom.

Marie shivered as he stepped out, quickly soaping up and washing her hair. _'Am I really going to go through with this? And what has gotten into him?'_ she thought to herself, and her hand moved down to touch the slickness between her legs. It wasn't caused by the soap.

With a sigh Marie rinsed the soap from her hair, letting the water cascade in rivulets down her body as she contemplated what she was considering doing. _'It's Stein. What if this makes it awkward between us?' _A small voice in her head replied, _'And what if it doesn't? What if… just if… Franken is the one?'_

Resolved, Marie turned off the water and stepped out of the showering, immediately shivering at the change in temperature. She pulled a towel out of the drawer, noting the watery footprints that led to the open door and the discarded towel beside it. She dried off, pulled back on her black lace, and took a deep breath before she stepped out of the bathroom and took a chance, walking towards his room.

* * *

Stein was smoking a cigarette, clad in just his lab coat, when Marie stopped in the doorway, her body framed by light coming from the hallway. A smirk stretched his face as he saw the almost disbelief in hers.

He didn't speak, just blew a stream of smoke lazily into the air and stared at it. She fidgeted, and he could feel the anticipation lacing through her soul; he could feel how nervous she was. He waited a long minute, and she finally opened her mouth.

He interrupted her. "You want this, Marie. It's the end result you've hoped for from every date you've gone on. Someone that you're compatible enough to go home with; someone that you can tempt and indulge in." There was a smirk on his face as he looked over at her. "How many times have we eaten together? Watched a show together? How many times have you tempted me with something similar to what you are wearing now?"

He was at her side before she could formulate a response, and his long arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. The smell of cigarette smoke overpowered her sense of scent for a moment, but it gave her something to cling to as his lips pressed against hers, his arm causing her to arch against him as he leaned into the kiss, any semblance of logical thought drifting away like the smoke in the air.

"All that's left is indulging in temptation."

The growing heat in her abdomen wiped away any complaints she might have had, any insecurities that she might have.

He leaned against her body, arching over her to snuff out the cigarette that he was smoking, one last drag on it slowly escaping from his nostrils as he looked down at her. She met his gaze, looking up at him with her singular eye and she opened her mouth to say something.

He interrupted her, his lips pressing against hers, sharing the cigarette smoke with her. She didn't smoke, but that didn't seem to matter- she breathed the smoke in and it escaped through her nose, his lips forming a tight seal on hers.

It took just a quick moment for him to sweep her off her feet before carrying her to the bed and laying her down among the stitched sheets. He trailed kisses up her side, his lips and tongue experimenting with the temptation of tasting and feeling the smoothness of her skin all at the same time. He licked slow circles as she writhed below him, still clad in her black lace, her breath a panting moan.

His face stretched into a smirk as he looked down at her, his hand rubbing against her through the black lace of her panties. Her eyes closed as she panted below him and he took the opportunity to indulge in the temptation of feeling her pulse with his tongue, licking her throat as she moaned before gently sucking on it.

He let his hand slip down between them, his palm pressing against her, rubbing against her slowly. Marie couldn't keep from moaning, and her back arched as he slowly slipped a finger underneath the elastic of the black lace that was concealing her from him.

Her hands wrapped around his head, tangling in his hair as she gasped, her hips arching up against him. He couldn't help but notice how wet she was already and he couldn't keep from smirking as he arched away from her, moving from her throat to her lips with his own.

He dipped his finger slowly into her, and she cried out into the kiss, her eye squeezing shut as he began moving in and out of her at a leisurely pace. She moaned beneath him, her hand reaching down between them to grasp his erection and gently encircle it. He felt himself moan and he slid a second finger into the writhing woman behind her.

Her hips arched up against him as he did so and she gave a cry as he crooked his fingers, pulling towards himself. He felt the rough patch and smirked, dragging his fingers almost maddeningly slowly across it, tapping on it. She moaned and panted beneath him, her breath coming faster and faster, and her grip on him tightened with each crook of his finger. He sped his movements up, relishing the sounds she was making.

"Franken!" He felt her body tense suddenly, her muscles spasming. He waited until she had finished before swiftly removing her black lace and pushing slowly into her.

Her back arched as he did so, her head thrown back and exposing her neck. He grinned; kissing the hollow of her throat as he slowly sheathed himself in her. It was enough to draw a groan from his throat as he pushed all the way in her, feeling her hot tightness around him.

His head shifted and he murmured her name in her ear. She moaned when he did, her hands tangling in his hair as he remained motionless inside her, almost overwhelmed by the sensation. He flexed his muscles, causing himself to jump inside her, and she gasped, pulling his hair almost painfully as she arched.

He smirked, repeating the process. Her eye opened and she looked up at him panting. He locked his gaze with her and slowly slid out before slamming into her. She cried out, her eye closing as she arched again, grinding her hips against his as he stilled again. His hands slid down underneath her back, grabbing her ass as he slowly slid out and then even more slowly slid into her.

She was panting as he repeated the process a second time. On the third she was desperately arching her back to meet him. He moved again, sheathing himself inside her and felt himself moan as she tightened her muscles around him.

"And what do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice something she had never heard before- playful.

"N-nothing…" she panted out, but he felt her squeeze again.

He just smirked, pulling out of her suddenly. She lay trembling below him and she slowly opened her eye to look up at him.

"Franken?"

He didn't answer, he just slammed into her, causing her breasts to bounce in their black lace, and he set a quick pace. Marie's voice rose and back arched as her eye closed- it drove him to move faster, his body arching over hers as her voice rose in a wordless scream, his hands cupping her breasts through the black lace as he continued his movements.

Suddenly his hands grabbed her hips and he thrust one last time into her, a groan ripping from him as she tightened around him; her voice was a series of panting gasps now, her body shaking. He couldn't resist the pleasure any longer, and he exploded buried inside her.

She was still panting, her body trembling when he trailed small kisses down her jawline before rolling off of her, shivering suddenly as the cool air hit his sweat covered body. He pulled the stitched blankets over them both, Marie's breathing already evening out and the woman drifting off.

Just when he thought that she was asleep her voice surprised him.

"_We should indulge in temptation again sometime, Franken."_

He smirked, long arms pulling her against his stitched torso. "You'll have to stop using your site if we do, Marie."

He could see her smile in the dim light. _"I can do that."_ He chuckled, and a few moments later she was asleep in his arms. He followed shortly thereafter.

* * *

**A/N: 5,481 words not counting the author's note (or the word count the line breaks add). Easily the longest one-word prompt I have written yet; and I believe it is even the longest chapter of anything I've written, **_**Elsa**_** included. **

**The word that prompted this was "temptation" from Greyvss, who asked for it to be romance/smut. I hope that this fulfilled that- I tried to give you both :)**

**I don't own Soul Eater. The picture was done by Shadowgirl89 over on Deviant Art.  
**


End file.
